Synopsis of the pelidnotine scarabs (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Rutelinae, Rutelini) and annotated catalog of the species and subspecies

Abstract

The pelidnotine scarabs (Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Rutelini) are a speciose, paraphyletic assemblage of beetles that includes spectacular metallic species (“jewel scarabs”) as well as species that are ecologically important as herbivores, pollinators, and bioindicators. These beetles suffer from a complicated nomenclatural history, due primarily to 20th century taxonomic and nomenclatural errors. We review the taxonomic history of the pelidnotine scarabs, present a provisional key to genera with overviews of all genera, and synthesize a catalog of all taxa with synonyms, distributional data, type specimen information, and 107 images of exemplar species. As a result of our research, the pelidnotine leaf chafers (a paraphyletic group) include 27 (26 extant and 1 extinct) genera and 420 valid species and subspecies (419 extant and 1 extinct). Our research makes biodiversity research on this group tractable and accessible, thus setting the stage for future studies that address evolutionary and ecological trends. Based on our research, 1 new species is described, 1 new generic synonym and 12 new species synonyms are proposed, 11 new lectotypes and 1 new neotype are designated, many new or revised nomenclatural combinations, and many unavailable names are presented. The following taxonomic changes are made:New generic synonym: The genus Heteropelidnota Ohaus, 1912 is a new junior synonym of Pelidnota MacLeay, 1819.New species synonyms: Plusiotis adelaida pavonacea Casey, 1915 is a syn. n. of Chrysina adelaida (Hope, 1841); Odontognathus gounellei Ohaus, 1908 is a revised synonym of Pelidnota ebenina (Blanchard, 1842); Pelidnota francoisgenieri Moore & Jameson, 2013 is a syn. n. of Pelidnota punctata (Linnaeus, 1758); Pelidnota genieri Soula, 2009 is a syn. n. of Pelidnota punctata (Linnaeus, 1758); Pelidnota lutea (Olivier, 1758) is a revised synonym of Pelidnota punctata (Linnaeus, 1758); Pelidnota (Pelidnota) texensis Casey, 1915 is a revised synonym of Pelidnota punctata (Linnaeus, 1758); Pelidnota (Strigidia) zikani (Ohaus, 1922) is a revised synonym of Pelidnota tibialis tibialis Burmeister, 1844; Pelidnota ludovici Ohaus, 1905 is a syn. n. of Pelidnota burmeisteri tricolor Nonfried, 1894; Rutela fulvipennis Germar, 1824 is syn. n. of Pelidnota cuprea (Germar, 1824); Pelidnota pulchella blanda Burmeister, 1844 is a syn. n. of Pelidnota pulchella pulchella (Kirby, 1819); Pelidnota pulchella scapularis Burmeister, 1844 is a syn. n. of Pelidnota pulchella pulchella (Kirby, 1819); Pelidnota xanthogramma Perty, 1830 is a syn. n. of Pelidnota pulchella pulchella (Kirby, 1819).New or revised statuses: Pelidnota fabricelavalettei Soula, 2009, revised status, is considered a species; Pelidnota rioensis Soula, 2009, stat. n., is considered a species; Pelidnota semiaurata semiaurata Burmeister, 1844, stat. rev., is considered a subspecies.New or comb. rev. and revised status: Plusiotis guaymi Curoe, 2001 is formally transferred to the genus Chrysina (C. guaymi (Curoe, 2001), comb. n.); Plusiotis transvolcanica Morón & Nogueir...

A new cryptic species and review of the east-Andean leaf chafer genus Mesomerodon Ohaus, 1905 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Rutelinae)

“…Three species distributed on western (lowland) Amazonia from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. An erroneous record from Brazil (Ohaus 1905) was repeatedly cited by subsequent authors (Blackwelder 1944, Ohaus 1934, 1952, Machatschke 1972, Krajcik 2008, Soula 2008, Moore et al 2017) (see Mesomerodon spinipenne type material). We record the genus from elevations between 150 to 762 m. A record of the genus occurring at 2800 m (Paucar-Cabrera 2005) is beyond the limits of the genus, and we consider it erroneous.…”

“…3); and male genitalia with highly sclerotized ventral sclerite of the phallobase (Figs 22c, 23c, 24c). See Moore et al (2017) for a key to genera of pelidnotine scarabs.…”

“…n. A record of ‘ Mesomerodon species 1’ from Napo Province in Paucar-Cabrera (2005) probably represents a record of Mesomerodon gilletti . Records of Mesomerodon from Ecuador (Blackwelder 1944, Ohaus 1918, 1934, 1952, Machatschke 1972, Moore et al 2017, Paucar-Cabrera 2005) are records for either M. gilletti or M. barclayi sp. n.…”

“…The South American genus Mesomerodon Ohaus (Figs 1–8) is a member of the pelidnotine leaf chafer scarabs, a polyphyletic assemblage of beetles which are in need of comprehensive revision (Moore et al 2017). Members of the genus Mesomerodon are ovate, 17–25 mm in length, and cream-colored when alive (Figs 7–8).…”

“…Nearly 100 years after Ohaus’ (1905) description of the genus, Soula (2008) described a second species, Mesomerodon gilletti from Ecuador. In an overview of pelidnotine leaf chafers (Moore et al 2017), the distribution of the genus was expanded to include Colombia and Bolivia. The distributional data provided for the genus Mesomerodon (Moore et al 2017) were derived from the data in this study and are therefore given for the first time with specimen associations.…”